Chарtеr 231: Тhе Insidе Stоry 4
On Li Каiхiаng’s sidе, he felt deерly ashаmed abоut thе twо brоthеrs сoming to his dоor to cause troublе аnd aрolоgizеd rеsрeсtfullу tо Yuаn Вaуuan.
He аlsо wantеd to persuаde his yоunger brothеr аnd brоthеr-in-lаw tоgеther with Yuan Ваyuаn, but аs а merе martiаl mаn, he cоuldn’t think оf a bеtter way аnd could onlу sееk adviсe from Yuan Вауuan.
Yuаn Вауuаn рretеndеd to think dеeрly for а momеnt. “Соnvincing thеm isn’t urgеnt. If thеу see the сhanges in you, theу will naturally trust mе. Ultimatelу, we still nееd to sрeed up our progress.”
“Then, Immortal, how should we speed up?” Speaking of speeding up, Li Kaixiang was also very eager.
If Immortal Yuan could perform magic to make him more majestic, his two brothers would surely become envious upon learning of it, and it would also be more persuasive.
Yuan Bayuan stroked his chin and thought for a while. “There is a way to speed up progress, but it requires holding a ceremony to invite an immortal to provide guidance. If you receive the immortal’s help, it will greatly enhance your abilities.”
“Then let’s invite the immortal. I can’t wait any longer,” Li Kaixiang said excitedly.
Yuan Bayuan put on a troubled expression. “Inviting an immortal isn’t difficult, but there are many immortals in the heavens. No matter which immortal you want to invite, you must make some arrangements and clear the path for them. Only then will the immortal be willing to descend and guide you.”
“Then, how do we clear the path?”
“As the ancients said, money can make immortals descend. As long as your sincerity is sufficient, the immortal will naturally appear.”
At this point, Li Kaixiang finally understood: clearing the path simply meant spending money to bribe the heavenly soldiers and generals.
However, he had no money left. If he wanted to invite an immortal to descend, he would have to borrow more.
Thinking of this, Li Kaixiang didn’t say much. He only asked Yuan Bayuan to wait for a moment, saying he would be right back.
Watching Li Kaixiang’s quickly departing figure, Yuan Bayuan curled his lips into a satisfied smile.
What Li Kaixiang didn’t expect was that after the commotion that day, his younger brother and brother-in-law were unwilling to lend him money. They even earnestly advised him, hoping he would turn back from his misguided path.
But by this time, Li Kaixiang had been completely captivated by Yuan Bayuan’s mystical arts, and no one could sway him.
Unable to borrow money from either of them, he could only leave in disappointment. Before even entering his home, his brows were already deeply furrowed.
Seeing Li Kaixiang return with a troubled expression, Yuan Bayuan realized the situation and stepped forward to comfort him. “Let’s not rush for now. Let’s first see what the immortal intends.”
Hearing this, Li Kaixiang’s eyes widened instantly. Could it be that he could see an immortal descending?
Without asking further, the two went to the backyard. Yuan Bayuan set up an altar and performed rituals, holding a yellow banner in one hand and scattering talismans with the other while chanting incantations.
After jumping and dancing around for a while, a wisp of white smoke suddenly rose before them.
Just as the smoke was about to dissipate, a humanoid figure faintly appeared within it—more precisely, an immortal.
Li Kaixiang widened his eyes in disbelief. The figure in the smoke was none other than the Daoist deity, the Moral Heavenly Venerable, one of the Three Pure Ones!
This was extraordinary—a Heavenly Venerable descending to the mortal realm. Li Kaixiang quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowing and praying.
However, this situation didn’t last long. After just a moment, the immortal vanished back into the smoke.
Li Kaixiang was shocked and quickly grabbed Yuan Bayuan, asking, “Immortal, where did the deity from just now go? Why did he disappear?”Yuan Bayuan wore an inscrutable expression, his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at Li Kaixiang. "Even immortals are busy. I managed to pull him down from the heavens for you to catch a glimpse, and that was already squeezing time out of his schedule. Moreover, we didn’t offer him any money or favors. Expecting an immortal to do your bidding is nothing short of wishful thinking."
Upon hearing this, Li Kaixiang’s expression turned grim.
He had seen the immortal with his own eyes and was now even more convinced of his existence, but the matter of money was something he simply couldn’t resolve.
Seeing Li Kaixiang’s troubled look, Yuan Bayuan continued, "The immortal has already made an appearance before us, and he came and went in a hurry, which means he has other matters to attend to. If we miss this opportunity, it will be very difficult to invite him again."
"Then when do you think we’ll have another chance?" Li Kaixiang asked anxiously.
Yuan Bayuan assumed a profound demeanor, calculating with his fingers. After a moment, he said leisurely, "Tonight at the hour of Hai is our last opportunity. If we miss it, we won’t be able to invite him again."
Hearing this, Li Kaixiang grew panicked. After hurriedly reassuring Yuan Bayuan, he left his home.
Time was short, and Li Kaixiang couldn’t borrow any money.
But having witnessed the immortal’s descent with his own eyes, his heart stirred. Gritting his teeth, he had no choice but to sell his estate.
Carrying a hefty sum of silver, he rushed to deliver it to Yuan Bayuan. As the hour of Hai approached, an altar had already been set up in the backyard of the Li residence.
Li Kaixiang stood to the side, anxiously waiting. Yuan Bayuan began performing the rituals again—invoking the gods and preparing talisman water. After a flurry of activity, he asked Li Kaixiang how he felt.
After drinking the hard-to-swallow talisman water, Li Kaixiang hesitated for a moment.
Taking a deep breath, a gleam appeared in his eyes as he looked at Yuan Bayuan with surprise. "Immortal, I feel as if my entire body is filled with strength, as though I’ve grown years younger."
Yuan Bayuan nodded meaningfully. "That’s only natural. With the immortal’s blessing, you will grow younger and younger in the days to come."
To test Yuan Bayuan’s claims, Li Kaixiang eagerly sought out his concubine for an experiment. Just as Yuan Bayuan had said, he was overjoyed that night.
This newfound pleasure completely captivated Li Kaixiang’s heart. He became engrossed in the joys of the bedchamber, long forgetting the mundane affairs of his life.
He spent his days in a daze, rarely stepping outside.
This situation couldn’t help but worry Li Kairui, who was concerned about his brother.
His brother’s association with Yuan Bayuan had always seemed improper, and now he was nowhere to be seen for days on end. Something must have happened.
After venturing out, he was shocked to learn that his brother, swayed by rumors of attaining immortality, had even sold his estate.
This was unacceptable. He hurriedly sought out his brother-in-law, Ji Dafu, and together they went to his brother’s home to check on the situation.
There, they stumbled upon an indecent scene. To their greater surprise, after just a few days, Li Kaixiang had grown so emaciated that words failed them.
If things continued like this, he would surely lose his life.
Furious, the two immediately grabbed brooms to drive Yuan Bayuan away.
Unexpectedly, just as they were berating Yuan Bayuan, Li Kaixiang suddenly stepped forward and launched into a tirade against them.
He even shouted at them to leave his home.
Seeing Li Kaixiang’s stubborn refusal to turn back, the two felt utterly helpless.
Before they could even steady their footing, they were scolded and driven out by Li Kaixiang.The two of them were fuming with indignation, and just as they were at a loss for what to do, Liu Zongyuan found them.
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